M Cafe De Chaya is popular for many reasons—like their Kale with Spicy Peanut Dressing and Tuna Burger—not for pizza. Recently this contemporary macrobiotic cafe re-instituted their Saturday pizza nights. So to investigate this fusion, I joined my pizza knowledge with a local macrobiotic authority, Jack Bone (aka my dad).

We tried a number of pies, but the clear winner was the BBQ Setain and Pineapple ($11.95). The house marinated setain has a chewy, slightly salty tang paired with sweet, fresh pineapple. The whole wheat crust gets a lovely parallel char from grilling and then finishing in the oven. Still—under the heft of toppings—the crust quickly went limp.

The sauce, made with fresh tomatoes, garlic and herbs, disappeared under the globs of Daiya dairy-free cheese. Unlike mozzarella, Daiya has a bold flavor and this pizza would benefit from a whole lot less of it. Still, each juicy pineapple laden bite charmed us.

We found the macrobiotic nature of the pizzas questionable. From the tomato sauce (a member of the restricted nightshade family) to the processed Daiya, the pizza struck us as whole food based and healthy, but rather un-macrobiotic. Still, as we sat there with our pies, nearly every person stopped to gawk or ask questions. And by 8pm on a Saturday night, the pizzas sold out... although I doubt any of those people were actually macrobiotic.

M Cafe De Chaya

About the author: After nearly a decade in Brooklyn, Kelly Bone landed back in Los Angeles where she writes The Vegetarian Foodie. She spends the rest of her time designing office cubicles... you might be sitting in one right now! Follow her on Twitter at @TheVegFoodie

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About the Author

After stints in the Bay Area and Brooklyn, Kelly landed back in her hometown of Los Angeles. She writes the blog The Vegetarian Foodie and contributes to other local food publications. In 2011 began writing Los Angeles Slice coverage for the columns Top This and Daily Slice. She is seriously obsessed with all things pizza and is constantly seeking the next great slice.